Tom Swift and His Airship

ng a

p, as he saw the trio running away. "Looks

declared Ned. "We had the fun." And the two

"I wish I'd caught them at it; the scoundrels! But p

om. "I must see if they

acted too quickly, and it was found that

et up in the air, and then was sent in various directions, to the no small delight of a large crowd that gathered in the meadow back of the Swift property; for it only required the sight of the airship looming its

In fact he seemed to be thinking deeply, and on some subject not connected with aeronautics. Tom notic

higher and higher, and swung about, but he soon lost his fear, and enjoyed the experience as much as

r visit to the Rocksmond Seminary, but Mr. Sharp, after completing several ev

d best for Mr. Swift and Ned to alight, as there was no telling just how the craft would behave. Tom's

out of the aluminum container, the Red Cloud shot forward, running over

t the craft, and then, when sufficient momentum had been obtained, Tom, at a command from the aeronaut, pulled the lever of the elevation rudder. Up into the a

Sharp. "It works as well tha

vel keel, the craft was sent here and there, dartin

rs were stopped, and the Red Cloud floated two thousand feet in the air, only a little distance below some fleecy, white masses from which she took her name. The demonstration was a great success. The gas was again allowed to escape, the propellers se

g trip any time you are, Tom,

get ready," agreed the 'yo

it," and Mr. Swift went to his own room, carrying with h

d nothing. He could not und

to Tom and Mr. Sharp. It was from an aero club of Blakeville, a city distant about a hundred miles, and stated that a competition for aeroplanes and dirigible balloons was to be held in the course of two weeks. The affair was designed to further interes

or it, Tom?" aske

ling if

all right, but the carnival is likely to be a small one. Once I gave a balloon exhibition for them. The mana

, and more attention was paid to the engine, the planes and rudders. Some changes were made and, a week later the Red Cloud departed for Blakeville. As the rules

ayed on the trip by a broken cog wheel, which was mended in mid-air. As the t

excitedly. "What

clared Tom, who was gett

el," interjected Mr. Sharp. "They're too uncertain for my pu

of the monoplane to swerve to one side. He had to make a quick descent-

to repair that," comme

the big tent assigned to her. Tom's craft was easily the best one at the

and a dirigible balloon. There were many visitors to the ground, and Tom, Ned and Mr. Sharp were kept busy answering questions put by thos

ownair of

em," repli

plane zat is ze swiftest evaire! One thousand francs wil

him up, Mr. Sha

the aeronaut. "But not for money. It's against my principles, and I don't

was a different matter, and one to which Mr. Sharp did not object, so i

Ned Newton helped all he could. So much has appeared in the newspapers of the races at Blakeville that I will not devote much space here to them. Suffice it to say that the Red Clou

entered, so Tom and Mr. Sharp had to be content with the one race they won. There wer

while an assistant filled the gasolene tank. "I will in circles go around you, up and down, zis side zen ze

showed much confidence he asked Mr. Sharp in private, just b

. His machine certainly goes very fast, but too much wind will be the undoing of him,

gas, so as to make the machines more even. At the signal off they started, the motors m

, "I leave you in ze rea

im beat us,"

up any more?" inqui

darted forward. But the Frenchman also increased his speed and did, actually, at first, circle around the bigger ma

winning!" yelled Tom, N

ll the navigator was not going to give up. He flew along at a lower level. Then Mr. Sharp opened up

nchman, above the explosions of his m

ne. Then, quickly rising, he fairly caught the Frenchman's machine on top of a square platform of the gas container, the bicycle wheels of the monoplan

k!" he cried. "E

to proceed under its own power, while he raced on to

w and again to-morrow!" cried the

"We've had enough. I guess

over the money, which was given to the Blakevill

m gave an exhibition of high and long flights the next day

rp that night. "We won the first contest we were ever in, and beat that

d at the cup they had won. He little realized what danger